Device for building tires on rims.



BEST AVAILABLE com' W. 0. STEVENS;

DEVICE FOR BUILDYNG TIRES ON RIM.

APPLIGA'FKON FILED JAN.13,1S13.

Patented Dee.l 9, 1913.

' l a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

\ d1,1/ 00;? a Il,

, ,IMQ/fr W. G. STEVENS.

DEVICE EOP. BUILDING TIRES 0N RIMS.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN.13.1913.

LOSSSS, 'Patented 1360.9, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@war/v 6.7636662105,

W. C. STEVENS.

DEVICE-POR BUILDING TIRES 0N RIMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13,1913. 1,080,86Q, Patented Dec. 9, 1918.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

,l have set forth, a preferred embodiment oi 'NTED STATES 'PATENT FFQ.

WILLAIVI C. STEVENS, 0F AKRON, G-iO, ASSIGNOR TO TEEFERESTGNE TRE RUBBER- COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OH.

DEVICE FOR BUILDING TRES 0N RIMS.

To @ZZ 'whom may concern:

Re it known that l, WILLIAM C. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing;` at Akron, in the-county of Summitand State of Ohio, have invented certain new vand useful improvements in Devices for Building Tires on Rims, ot' which the following is a specilication.

T his invention relates to the art ot' making rubber tires and particularly to the building,y

vup ot' solid rubber tires upon a metallic rim.

lt usual in this art to make the. tire of a composite nature, that is to say, the tread is of one sortof soft rubber particularly i suited to take up lthe jars incident. to travel and laat portion ot the tire next the rim is of a harderfirmer rubber capable or being vulcanized into intimate adhering Contact with the .wheel rim on the one hand and with the softer rubber tread onfthe other. the result being a Composite tire' of which the parts are substantially integral with each other and with the rim.

ln order to increase the area ot Contact between the rubber tire and the metal rim and thus render the union therebetween less liable to rupture the rim face is advantageously rougliened and also provided with a series et longitudinal grooves or corru- `options. lt is necessari7 with suoli fg'rooved rimhowever, to force the rubber into these grooves as`it vis applied to the rim andto compact the rubber lalvers as they are added and pregressivel-v approach a plane snrface.

l-laving as an object an improved tire ot this type the inventionresides in improved means for eiiectinp' such an intimate application ot the component parts of the tire to each other and to the rim in an efficient and inexpensive manner.

ln the accompanying drawings and in th following` detailed description based thereonE the inventionn it being understoodthat, the invention not being dependent upon the specific construction employed, the drawings and the description are to be taken in an illustrative and not an unnecessarilv limiting sense.

In the drawings. Figure 1 is aside elevation of a machine embodying the invention;v

Fig. 9 is a top plan Iview of the same: Fig.'

3 is asimilar yview with portions of the super-structure removed; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line of Fig. 3; Fig.- 5'

' Specification of Letters Patent.

ratemeaneaa, isis.

Application filed January 13. 1913. Serial No. 741,681.

is a vertical section, the compacting' roller the rim and pressure roller atene stage of the operation; rib. o' is a similar view at an advanced stage ot the operation; Fig. i" is a detail sectional View on the line -T of Fig. l rig. S is a cross section through the run and completed tire; and Figa@ is stragmentary iew of a larged scale.

.Having reference to the drawings in deportion ot the trame is journaled a shaft 1+i carrying a pinion 15 and also ashaft 16 carshaft 16 is mounted intixed'relation to the posite end ot which is rotatablvmounte'd at 19 'a spider 20 having telescopicallv adjustable lingers 21 for supporting in a rotatable manner a wheel rim A second arm 23 is mounted at one end upon the shaft ,lelin adjustable relation to the pinion 15 such adjustment being provided for bv means of a dog' 24 engaging the teeth of the pinion 15 under the influence of the spring, the release et the dog' beingr effected at will b v means of a rod 26 controlled by a lever 27.

.5i weight 28 is carried b v the arm 23 the eftectiveness oit the weight dependent upon the angle of the arm 28 which is adjustable, as will be readily understood, by varying the point of engagement of the dog Ql with the pinion 15.

' The face oi the rim Q2 is providedwith a plurality7 of peripheral Corinna-tions or grooves 29 between intervening' ridges 30 in order to increase the superficial area of the advanta,QeouslyT Toughened for the same purnfsetlie rim also having' side flanges 31 as is usual. and upon this grooved and roughened rim is builtI up a tire bv the application thereto of successive levers of sheet, rubber. indicated at 32 b v dotted lines in Fia'. l, as beine1 supplied trom feedrolls 33.

Bv reason of the fact that hard `rubber of a certain composition canbe effectively vulcanized onto 'metal while soft rubber oit a composition adapted for use as' a tread cannot be vulcanized on toin'et-al. and the further fact that these two kindsk of rubber showing;- adlgaeent ooperating portions of,

part of Fig. S von an en' lrfi/ing a pinion 17, the two pinions 15 and 1T being in mesh one with another. 'Upon the pinion 17 one end of an arm 1S, upon the oprim face and the .grooves and ridges are also tail, the reference numeral 11 designates@ base plate supporting a pedestal 12 upon which a traine 13 is mounted. In the upper-` lll) grooves 29 Will present a surface which islikewise grooved and that as successive layers are added the surface will desirably tend to a plane surface7 the demarcation between the-grooved and ridged portions becoming less distinct as successive layers are'added. The proper compacting of the lrubber 4layers Within the grooves and one upon another presents a problem. If a ridged compacting roller is employed having an unyielding surface to force the rubber into the grooves the progressively builtup hard rubber layer will retain the same contour, and Tif, on'the other hand7 a compacting roller is employed having a plane surface the layers of rubber Will not be forced into the grooves. A s conditions are progressively changing during the building up of the hard rubber layer a compaeting roller ofprogressively changing face is desirable` in order to avoid the necessity of employing a. number of compacting rollers of different face and changing the same at short intervals, and I have herein shown and will now describe such 'a comp-acting roller. Beneath the rim 22, as 1t 1s rotatably mounted upon the rim supporting arm 18, the compacting roller 36 is mounted upon a. driven shaft 37, thisroller comprising a pair of side plates 38 and 39 each of which has a laterally extending hub 40 se cured to the shaft by means of set screws 41. y

The plate 39 has a plane inner face While the plate 38 has an inwardly projecting central boss 42 and between the side plates 38 .and 39 are mounted a series of disks`48 each of which likewise has a central boss 44, the bosses 42 and 44 serving to space the peripheral portions of the disks and side plates apart so as to `provide interspaces corresponding to the thickness of the said bosses. Tie-rods 45, 45,l firmly. secure tlie side plates and diskstogether in fixed relation so that the disks 43 are rigidly held. During the assembling of the side plates and rigid disks other disks 46 each having i a central opening 47 of slightly greater diameter than the bosses 42 and 44 are assembled therewith, a disk 46 being slipped over the boss .42 and a similar disk 46 being slipped over the bosses 44 ofeach of the disks 43 so that in the interspace between each pair of the disks 43 is disposed a disk 46 which by reason of the size of its aperture 47 is susceptible of movement upon the bosses within the inte'nspaces.` The 'rela' tive movement of the two sets of disks is limited both radially and angularlyby a pin 48 extending transversely through all of the disks, saidfpin 48 fitting tightly Within openings of the side plates and rigid disks .and loosely Within larger openings 49 of the interposed disks 46. The maximum play ofthe disks 46 relative to the disks 43 corresponds to the deptlrof the grooves 29 below the outer surface of the ridges 30. Upon the base l1 is supported a. second ed estal 5() Within the upper ortion of W ich a pair of shafts 51j 51 are journaled. Upon each end of each' of the shafts 51 is keyed an arm 52 and connecting the free ends of each pair of the arms 52 is the axle 53 of a pressure roller 54, the two pressure rollers 54. 54 occupying positions one upon eachl side of a vertical line passing through lthe shaft 37. The adjacent ends of the arms.-52 are provided with intermeshing projections or teeth 55 whereby the said arms and shafts movein iuiison. A plate 56 is keyed to one end of one of the shafts 51 and to the opposite end of the other shaft 51, and from each of the plates y56 extend in opposite directions an arm 57 carrying at its outer end a wei ht 5S adjustable thereon. It will be noted t at the arms 5i., the plates 56 and the arms 57 constitute Z-levers, the effect of the Weights 58 being toturn the' Z-levers upon their fulcrumsl and thereby force the pressure rollers 54 yieldingly against the periphery of the compacting roller 36.

The operation of the device is as follows: By lifting upon the handle end of the arm 28, the armdS is likewise raised and the rim Q2 with its spider 2Q is positioned upon the arm 18 and when lthe arm 23 is released the -vveight 28 acting through the 'pinions 15 and 17 supplements the Weight of the rim and spider in pressing downwardupon the com'pacting roller '36. The rubber tape 3.2 being fed between the rotating roller 36 andrim 22 is compacted Within the grooves 29 by means ofthe projecting edges of the disks 46 which are caused to project from the upper face of the compacting roller 86, as indicated `in Fig. 5 by the pressure of the rollers 54 upon the lower portion of the periphery ofthe roller 36. Asthe hard rubber layer is pro gressively built up upon thc rim 22 and the contour of the grooves and ridges is gradually eaced bythe merging of one in the other in the outer layers, the projecting disks 46 are gradually `forced inward as indicated in Fig. 6, the pressure rollers ,54 permitting such retraction of yielding disks from the upper face of the compacting roller and their emergence from the lower face, so that when the hard rubber base is built up beyond the flanges of the rini to a point Where it is desired to apply the softer rub i the rubber tire bei' for the tread port. i outer surface oit such i tase is si'bstaiitial je plane posses t most the 'wavy contour indicated in Figs. S and 9 in the line o ldi'visioii between the two rubber portions.

lt will :has be seen that myeinventioii provides a compacting roller having an autoiiiatically piogressivel;Y changing Contact face which adapts itselt' to the surface contour ot the material upon which it is einployed in the various stages ot building up upon a corrugated or grooved rim.

I claim:

l. The combination with a recessed body,

` substantialli7 as described.`

3. Thev combination With a grooved rim. and means to apply successive layers of rubbei thereto. of compacting -means comprising rotatable independently yielding meinbers disposed upon a common axis and in alinement with the grooves, and ine'ans to exert yielding pressure upon the members, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a grooif'ed rim, and means to apply' successive layers of rubber thereto, of compacting means comprising a series of yielding rotatable members disposed in planes parallel to the grooves and interveningridges,`and means to` exert iressure upon the said series and through them upon the layers ofmaterial7 substantialliT as described.

The combination ivith a grooved rim. and means to apply successive layers' of rnbber thereto. ot conipacting means comprising a series of alternating yielding and rigid rotatabledisk members.disposed iu alineinentwith the gi'oovesl and intervening ridges resiicctivelv. and means to exert pressure upon the said series and through them i-ipi'in the laveis of material. substantiall;v as

- described.

G. The combination with a and means to appli' successive layers ot rubber tliri'eto.l ot a compacting roller arrangil to bear against the applied layers and com? pris-ing a series ot spaced rigid disks... and

a series of ii'iterspaced rad'izill)Y displaceable d s of slightly greater diameter than the' rigid disks, and a yielding pressure roller ainst the periphery ot the com- Y `inder on vthe side opposite the y bstantiallj,7 as described.

T. The coiisbination with a grooved rim, and means to apply successive layers oi rubber thereto. ot a. compacting roller arranged to bear against the applied layers and comprising a series of rigidly mounted disks having spacing bosses, and a series of interspaced radially displaceable disks mounted upon the bosses, the diameter ot the displaceable disks slightlyv greater than that oi the rigid disks7 and a yielding pressure roller against the peripheryv of the compacting roller en the side opposite t--ie rim. substantially as described.

iQ. The combination ivith a greeted riui7 ar l means to ap plj.Y successive layers oi rubbertliereto. a compacting roller arranged to lzear iiist the applied layers and compris" ingI a series of rigidliv mounted disks haring,

spacing bosses. and a series of inter-spaced radiali*- dislilaceable disks each having a vcentral aperture slightly larger than and a-.lapred to receive the bosses, the diameter of tue displaceablc disks ,slightly greater than that of the rigid c isks, and a yielding i ire roller bearing against the periph- D the conipacting roller on the side opposite the rim. substantially as described.

The combination with a grooved rim7 and means to applyy successive layers of rubber thereto. a compacting roller arranged to bear against the applied layers and comprising a series of rigidly mounted disks having spacing bosses, and a series of interspaced iadiallvv displaceable disks each having a central aperture slightly larger than and adapted to receive the bosses. the diameter ot' the displace-able disks slightl;v greater than that of the rigid disks, a pin connect ing the series ot rigid disks and passing looselv through the displaceable disks, and a Lvieldiug pressure roller bearing againstthe iierip'heriv or the coinpacting roller on the side opposite the rim, substantially as. desci'il'ied.

l0. The combination vvi'tli a grooved rim, and inc-ans to appli' successive layers of rubbei' thereto. a compacting roller arranged to l-.eii' against the applied layers and comprising a series ot' alternating lvvielding and rigid rotatable disk members disposed iii alineinent with the grooves and intervening ridges respectively. and means to exert presrsure upon the said series and through them upon the layers ot material. said means coinprisiug a suitabli7 journaled shalt. a lever mounted ou the shaft. a roller carried by.

one arm of the leier and bearing ou the periphei'iv ot the compacting roller. and a weight adjustably mounted on the other arm of the lever, subshintialliv asdescribed. il. The combination with a grooved ri'in. and` means to apply successive layers of rubiso bei' thereto, a eouipaeting roller a 'ranged to bear against the applied layers and comprising a series of alternating yieldiiioY and rigid rotatable disk members disposed in alineinent with the grooves and intervening ridges respectively, and means to exert pressure upon the said series and through them upon the layers ot material, said means com prising a pair oil' suitably journaled shafts,

a lever mounted on each shaft, a pair of rollers carried one by an arm of each lever, the rollers bearing upon the compacting rollerat each side of a point opposite the,

rim, and a Weight adjustably mounted on the tree arm ot' each lever, substantially as sure upon the said series and through them upon the layers of material, said 4means com- `prising a pair of suitably journaled shafts, a Z-lever keyed on each shaft, a roller carried by one arm ot each lever, Athe tWo rollers bearing upon the compact-ing roller at each Vsido of a point opposite the rim and a weight adjustably mounted on the free arm of each lever, substantially as described.

13. The combination 'Wit-h a grooved rim, and means to apply successive layers of rubber thereto, a eompacting roller arranged to bear against the applied layers and comprising a series of alternating yielding and rigid rotatable disk members disposed in alinement with the grooves and intervening ridges respectively, and means to exert'pressure upon the said series and through thein upon the layers of material, said means comprising a pair of suitably 'journaled shafts, a lever mounted on each shaft, a pair of rollers carried one by an armv of each lever, the rollers bearing' upon the compact-ing roller at each side oit a point opposite the rim, and a weight adjustably mounted on the free arm of each lever, the tivo levers provided with intermeshing projections whereby they operate in unison, substantially as described.

14. The combination with a grooved rim, and means lto apply successive layers of rub ber thereto, a compacting roller arranged to bear against the applied. layers and coinprising a series of alternating yielding and lrigid rotatable disk members disposed in alinement Wit-h the grooves and intervening ridgesrespeetively, and means to exert pres sure upon the said series and through them upon the layers oi material, said means comnasdeoo prising a pair of suitably journaled shafts, a Z-lever keyed on each shaft, a roller carried by one arm of each lever, the two rollers bearing upon the compacting roller at each side ot' a point opposite the rim and a Weight adjustably mounted on the` free arm of each lever, the two levers provided with intermeshing projections whereby they operate in unison, substantially as described.

15. The combination of a frame, shafts joufrnaled therein, inter-meshing pinions mounted on the shafts, a rim supporting arm mounted in fixed 'relation to one pinion, a Weighted arm mounted in adjustable relation to the other pinion, a rim rotatably mounted on the rim supporting arm, means for vsupplying successive layers of rubber tape to the rim, and a compacting roller bearing against the applied rubber layers, substantially as described.

16. The combination of a frame, shafts journaled therein, 4intermeshii'ig pinions keyed upon the shafts, a rim supporting arm mounted upon one shaft in fixed relation to one pinion, a Weighted arm mounted upon-the other shaft, a releasable dog carried by the Weighted arm and engaging its pinion, a grooved rim rotataly mounted on the rim supporting arm, meansto supply rubber tape to the rim, and compacting means comprising independently yielding members disposed in alinement With the grooves, and means to exert yielding pressure upon the'meinbers, substantially as` described.

17. The combination of 'a frame, shafts journaled therein, intermeshing pinions mounted on the shafts. a rim supporting arm mounted in fixed relation to one pinion, a weighted arm mounted in adjust-able relation to the other pinion, a grooved rim rotatably mounted on the rim supporting. arm, means to supply rubber tape to the rim, a

eompaoting roller arranged to bear against the applied-layers of rubber tape and comprising a series of spaced rigid disks and a series of interspaced radially displaceable disks of slightly greater diameter than the rigid disks, and means to exert yielding pressure upon the periphery of the eompactii'ig roller to force the rubber by means of the displaceable disks into the grooves, said means comn prising a pair of suitably journaled shafts, a lever mounted on each shaft, a roller carried by one arm of the lever, the two rollers bear- I v ing on the compacting roller at each side of a point opposite the rim, and a weight adjustably mounted on the free arm of each lever, substantially as described.

S. G. CARKHUIF, T. L. Honours. 

